Micheál Hussey was a gifted engineer

Michael Cooley reflects on the engineering career of Micheál Hussey THE late Micheál Hussey, who died on Monday Feb 4, was a gifted engineer. He embarked upon his engineering career in June 1948 when he was selected to serve a craft apprenticeship by the Sugar Company in its Tuam factory. Apprenticeships in the factory were well regarded. Apart from acquiring the technical skills necessary, the factory provided a stimulating environment for wider interests and this was reflected in the achievements of several apprentices who were Micheálâ€â„¢s contemporaries. Mick Tierney became Managing Director of Paclene, a Smurfit company; Tom Murphy became an internationally renowned playwright; Michael Brennan (sometime poet) was founder and chairman of the Construction Workersâ€â„¢ Health Trust (CWHT). Michael Cooley became an aerospace design engineer, academic and international consultant. At that time, the factory was the largest industrial complex West of the Shannon. Even during the off-peak season there were some 280 permanent employees. During the sugar campaign this soared to around 600. For a young aspiring engineer, the factory was a treasure trove of equipment and processes. On site were steam and diesel locomotives, a boiler house, a turbine hall with turbines from Brno, an on-site foundry, a forge and a welding facility, Ruston and Hornsby stationary diesel engines, generators, workshops, a well equipped laboratory and a great deal more.[private] The first years of an apprenticeship offered the opportunity of getting a â€Å“tasterâ€Â of many of these before specialising in a particular area. Micheál pursued these opportunities with gusto. During this period, the Head of Engineering, a position known as Machine Master, was the Austrian engineer Franz Kaplan who recognised Micheálâ€â„¢s extraordinary talents. When in his final apprentice year, Kaplan entrusted him with a number of projects, not only in Tuam but also in the Carlow and other group factories. With his rapidly developing skills, Micheál was soon leading project teams and had great legitimacy of leadership as he â€Å“knew what he was doingâ€Â. His reputation grew rapidly throughout the company. It was clear that he was management material. The company arranged for Micheál to attend courses at the then College of Management in Dublin. There followed specialist technical courses at Cranfield University and the Welding Institute in Cambridge. In the mid â€â„¢50s it was envisaged that turf would provide a continuing plentiful supply of fuel for domestic and industrial use. The problem was how to extract it from the bogs. To address this, the company established a turf cutting enterprise which was initiated in 1957 and Micheál was chosen to manage this. It was clear that imported turf cutting machines would need significant modification to function adequately in Irish conditions so a comprehensive programme of modification was established under Micheálâ€â„¢s direction, and the modified machines were highly successful. The company deployed 15 machines which extracted some 125,000 tons of dry turf equivalent for 10,000 customers in Galway, Donegal, Sligo, Mayo, Roscommon and Fermanagh. In Donegal it was associated with the Glencolumbcille project. Micheálâ€â„¢s engineering background and managerial skills made him ideal for managing this. For a period he also organised engineering projects at Gowla Grassmeal factory near Ballinasloe, the Grassmeal factory near Belmullet, Co Mayo, and the Errigal food factory in Donegal, all in parallel with his functions in Tuam. His energy and commitment was exemplary. In 1965, his expertise was called upon at the companyâ€â„¢s Erin Foods Plant in Thurles. He succeeded in blending his engineering activities with wider management responsibilities. Thus he was in charge of apprentice training and work study at some of the plants. He was always interested in innovation and at one stage he was a judge in the â€Å“Ideas and Inventionsâ€Â scheme operating throughout all factories in the group. In 1978, Micheál was appointed Project Engineer at Tuam Engineering, part of the engineering division of the Sugar Company. He played a major role in designing specialist equipment for several companies, winning orders and establishing the company as a manufacturer and exporter of heavy machinery. The British sugar factories were customers for the beet processing equipment manufactured in Tuam. Micheál radiated a â€Å“can doâ€Â mentality. He was liked and respected by his peers and those who worked for him. He could be efficient without being officious. A high point in his career was when Kaplan retired and Micheál was appointed as his successor as Machine Master. His colleagues and associates were genuinely pleased that a â€Å“localâ€Â was able to succeed Kaplan. Micheál was modest about his achievements. I trust that future generations in Tuam will be inspired by his example.[/private]